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The Border
Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers have planned a series of
confidence-building measures (CBMs) along the border for better communication
and understanding between the two forces.

The measures
include visits of school students across the border, conducting sporting events
between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers, setting up telephonic communication
between sector commanders and holding fixed meetings between local commanders.

The CBMs were
discussed at the biannual director general-level meeting between the BSF and
the Pakistan Rangers at Lahore in December last year. “We have given the list
of the CBMs to the Ministry of Home Affairs for their approval. It is up to the
two governments to take a decision on it,” said BSF DG, Subhash Joshi.

The BSF also
raised the issue of sniper firing from across the border. “The Pakistani side
said it will investigate and give us the details of the action taken,” said
Joshi.

On December 19,
last year, a BSF officer was injured in a sniper fire from across the border in
the Hiranagar area of Jammu and Kashmir. There have been 254 ceasefire
violations along the Indo-Pak border, including 54 along the IB and the rest at
the Line of Control. There have been at least 267 infiltration attempts from
across the border.

Under the CBMs,
the two forces have agreed on regular telephonic communication between the
sector commanders of Jammu and Sialkot. “The communication will ensure that
there is no misunderstanding and relations between the two sides improve,” he
said.

Officials also
pressed for regular interactions between the local commanders of the two
forces. “One of the CBMs is to have meetings between the Commandant, Deputy
Inspector General and Inspector General-level officers. These meetings will be
similar to what we conduct along the India-Bangladesh border,” said the DG.

A Commandant-level
meeting between the BSF and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) takes place every
month. The DIGs meet once in three months and the IGs meet once in six months.
“Local issues and problems with fixed agendas are solved at these meetings. If
there is an issue which can’t be resolved, then it is raised at the DG-level
meet which happens after every six months,” said a BSF officer.

At the Lahore
meeting, there was a proposal to conduct sporting activities between the BSF
and Rangers. The BSF and BGB have been regularly organising basketball and
volleyball matches. The two forces have also agreed on removing the thick
foliage near the fence along the IB.

“In January, we will chalk out
a plan to remove the sarkanda (tall grass) along the fence,” said Joshi. The
fence was installed by India to prevent infiltration attempts.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140105/nation.htm#7

Large-scale anomalies in defence land record

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News
Service

Chandigarh,
January 4

Large-scale
discrepancies have been detected in the records of defence lands holdings
maintained by different defence authorities responsible for

maintaining the
official books and those actually occupying the land.

This has raised questions
not only over the authenticity of defence land records but also issues such as
unrecorded transfer of land, underhand transactions, unauthorised occupation
and encroachments, besides jeopardising the government’s claim on its property.

Sources said the
discrepancies involve about 3,647 acres in nine stations under the Western
Command. These include Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Kasauli, Dagshai, New Amritsar
Military Station, Sabathu, Gurdaspur, Beas, Ludhiana, Faridkot and Kapurthala.

While the records
of the Defence Estate Officers (DEOs) state that the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
holds 27325.48 acres in these nine stations, the records and data held by local
military authorities (LMA) show MoD land holdings to be 29589.49 acres. DEOs
are responsible for maintaining land records, while LMAs are responsible for
physically occupying and managing the land.

Under MoD rules,
land records maintained by the DEOs are the basic documents for land
management. If the records maintained by the DEOs are taken as the guidelines,
military authorities are holding over 2,955 acres of excess in four stations.

The border
cantonment of Ferozepur and Jalandhar top the list of excess land holdings by
about 1,594 and 1,075 recpectively, followed by Kapurthala and Gurdaspur, while
land holdings are deficient by a total of about 692 acres in the remaining five
stations.

Improper handing
overtaking over of land records among occupying military units moving in and
out on routine rotation. Inept handling of records and failure to conduct
regular inspections and reconciliation of land records by both the DEOs as well
as LMAs are among reasons cited for the discrepancies.

While all defence
land records are being computerised, sources said that a comprehensive survey
of all defence land holdings had been sanctioned recently and work on the
project has already been started. The survey will bring out the field situation
of defence lands and ensure authenticity.

3,647 acres in
nine stations

Sources said the discrepancies involve about
3,647 acres in nine stations under the Western Command

This has raised questions not only over the
authenticity of defence land records but also issues such as unrecorded
transfer of land, underhand transactions, unauthorised occupation and
encroachments, besides jeopardising the government's claim on its property

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140105/nation.htm#9

CBI books Brig in
Agusta scam

New Delhi, January
4

In an off-shoot of
VVIP helicopter deal scam, the CBI today registered a case against a Brigadier
working with the Army Aviation for allegedly fudging trial flight records of
the copters.

The CBI registered
the case against Brig V S Saini of Army Aviation Corps and unknown officers of
the Army and Defence Ministry after the agency received a fresh set of
documents from Italian police, official sources said here.

The case has been
registered under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, including
abuse of official position, and Indian Penal Code including charges of forgery.

The CBI said Brig
Saini was part of the team carrying out trials of the competing helicopters in
the Light Utility Helicopter.

The Army Aviation
was looking at purchase of 197 of light helicopters to replace its ageing
Cheetah and Chetak fleet which undertakes reconnaissance and casualty
evacuation operations in forward locations and high-altitude areas like Siachen,
Ladakh, North Kashmir and the North-East.

The acquisition
process of 197 helicopters had been cancelled once in December 2007 after
having been finalised. The Italian prosecutors found mention of Brig Saini in
the documents seized by Italian prosecutors while probing the VVIP chopper
scam.

The officer is
alleged to have fudged the records of the trial flight of the helicopter to
favour the company for which he and other unknown officers have received hefty
commission, the CBI said in its case.

Italian
investigators claimed to have found a document which claimed that the Brigadier
had allegedly demanded a bribe of five million dollars in 2010 to swing the
contract in favour of AgustaWestland. The company was later eliminated from the
race. — PTI

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140105/nation.htm#10

Vikramaditya on its way home

Tribune News
Service

New Delhi, January
4

India’s newest and
most potent naval warship, the sea-borne aircraft carrier, the INS
Vikramaditya, is on the last-leg of its long ‘home-run’ from Russia. The 44,500
tonne and 284 metres long INS Vikramaditya entered the Arabian Sea via the Suez
Canal on January 2 while on its journey from Russia.

It is now being
escorted by a flotilla of Indian warships which are heading towards the west
coast of India. The newest warship is expected to reach its home base at
Karwar, just south of Goa before January 10. “It could reach on January 8 or
January 9, depending upon sailing conditions. It is running full steam,” Naval
sources said.

The ship that cost
India $2.35 billion (approx Rs 14,000 crore at today’s dollar rupee exchange
rates) was delivered by Russia on November 16 at the northern city of
Severodvinsk. It had set sail on November 27 after taking supplies. En route
three Indian warships sailed alongside to keep off prying eyes.

Since then it has
travelled non-stop for over 8,000 nautical miles (nearly 14,800 km) without
entering any port en route for refuelling or supplies showing remarkable
endurance at sea. Naval ships called the ‘Fleet tankers’ carrying supplies are
sailing alongside and can replenish the warship mid-sea, if needed.

Notably, the
Indian Naval flotilla that joined the Vikramaditya at the mouth of the Gulf of
Aden for its ‘home-run’ included the other aircraft carrier the INS Viraat. It
is for the first time since 1994 that two Indian Naval aircraft carriers have
operated together, a naval official explained.

Some 10 warships
from Navy’s western fleet are now in the flotilla that is headed towards India,
making it the first joint operations with Vikramaditya leading the group. Once
the Vikramaditya berths at Karwar, the process to fully integrate it with the
fleet will commence. This will take some 5-6 months before it heads out sea for
its first deployment carrying fighter-jets on deck.

The first squadron
of its on deck fighters the twin-engined MiG29-K are already inducted and based
at INS Hansa, Goa. Since the flying time for the fighters between Goa and
Karwar is no more than 3-4 minutes, these will be based at Goa.

A new weapons
suite will also be integrated over the next few weeks and India pilots will
start landing on its deck. Significant among other features is the capability
to allow fighters pilots to ‘lock on’ to the radar complex onboard the
Vikramaditya and reach the ship in auto-pilot mode-all the while maintaining
what naval aviators call a ‘zip-lip’ procedure or total radio silence. It will
be the first-ever such facility onboard an Indian naval warship, propelling it
into the very exclusive club of nations like the US, France and Russia to have
similar capacities.

The other task is
for the remaining warships of the fleet to adapt to the wider arc of sensors,
night flying capabilities and radars on board the Vikramaditya.